Diverted Attention
by sasha1600
Summary: Gibbs wants to know what's bothering Tim.  Sequel to Diversionary Tactics.  Warning: Discussion of spanking of adults.  Don't like?  Don't read!
1. Chapter 1

**Diverted Attention**

**Summary**: Gibbs wants to know what's bothering Tim. Sequel to Diversionary Tactics. **Warning**: Discussion of spanking of adults. Don't like? Don't read!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own them, I just play with them.

* * *

A/N: This is part of my 'Lessons' series and builds on a larger plot arc. It probably won't make much sense on its own.

* * *

**Warning: this story is part of a discipline series and includes discussion of the spanking of adults. If you have a problem with that, click on that 'back' button now. You've been warned.**

**

* * *

**

Gibbs knocked on Tim's door, hoping that the younger man wouldn't refuse to let him in. He had a key, but he didn't want to use it in this situation. And, knowing Tim, he'd have the chain on the door, anyways.

There were a couple of sharp barks inside the apartment, then the sound of nails scuttling on hardwood floors. The barking quickly changed from 'alert' to 'excited', once his namesake got close enough to the door to catch his scent. Gibbs thought he also heard Tim coming over to check the peephole, but he couldn't be sure, over the racket the dog was making.

There was a long pause before he heard Tim's voice through the door.

'Is there a case, Boss?'

Tim's tone, more than his words themselves, made it clear that he had no interest in discussing anything that wasn't work-related. He was briefly tempted to claim there _was_ a case, just to get the door open, but he knew that lying to the younger man now would just make things worse.

'No case, McGee...' he began quietly. He could hear Tim shushing Jethro, leading him away from the door. 'Tim!' he called, a little louder. 'We need to talk.'

There was a long pause, and he was just about to start pounding on the door again when Tim finally replied.

'No, Boss, I don't think we do.'


	2. Chapter 2

Gibbs felt like he'd been physically punched. He'd known that Tim probably wouldn't be eager to discuss what had happened, but he hadn't expected the tone of such finality that he heard in his agent's voice. Or how much it would hurt to be pushed away. He continued knocking on the door, hoping that Tim wouldn't be able to hold out against him. After a few minutes, he realised that _asking_ him to open the door wasn't going to work, and he changed tactics.

'Dammit, McGee, don't make me break down this door!' he bellowed, hoping that the younger man's instincts for obeying his orders would kick in. He wasn't planning on following through with that threat, although he easily could. But he was counting on Tim knowing him well enough to be wondering if he just might mean it.

And, apparently, Tim _did_ know him that well. The door was flung open with enough force to make it slam against the wall and bounce back in Gibbs's face. Thrusting out a hand, he pushed it gently open. By the time he had stepped inside and closed the door behind him, Tim had already retreated to the far side of the small main room of his overcrowded apartment, where he was standing, visibly vibrating with fury.

Jethro snuffled at his feet, glancing back anxiously towards his upset owner. The highly trained German Shepherd clearly knew that something was wrong, and it was obvious that he expected Gibbs to fix it. _I hope I can, Buddy_, he thought ruefully.

'Now what, Boss?' Tim muttered, sounding for all the world like a petulant child.

'Now you tell me what's wrong.'

'What's wrong? What's _wrong_? You want me _tell you_ what's wrong? You don't _know_ what's wrong?'

'Tim...'

'What's wrong is that I'm an idiot!'

'Hey...'

'I keep thinking that maybe, just maybe, you might actually like... I mean, even though...'

'Tim, calm down...'

'...I know you don't... I just...'

'Tim!'

McGee finally trailed off, but Gibbs knew that it wasn't because of anything he'd said. The younger man had worked himself up to the point where he was unable to communicate. And he'd been backing up with every outraged word, until his back was pressed against one of the few bare patches of wall that wasn't lined with storage units. Now, he slid down it to a crouch, his recently-strapped butt hovering several inches above the hard wooden floor.

Gibbs was stunned by the depth of anger he heard, and dismayed that this man he cared so deeply about seemed so unsure of his place in his life. And horrified that he apparently thought the fact that he had punished him meant that he didn't care about him. He'd thought his previous conversations with Tim had been enough to make him understand. Apparently, he'd been wrong.

His gut churned at the realisation that Tim had endured so many spankings without understanding any of what he'd been trying to convey. Making a sudden decision, he crossed the room in a couple of long strides and squatted down in front of Tim. Jethro followed hard on his heels, sitting down at his side and resting his head on Tim's knee. Gibbs reached out and tipped McGee's chin up, forcing him to look at him. Tim batted his hand away angrily, and clearly would have scuttled away from him if he wasn't hemmed in by the wall. Gibbs pressed on, resting his hand lightly on the younger man's shoulder.

'I owe you an apology, Tim. We should have talked, before I spanked you. I should have made sure you understood why I was punishing you.'

Tim looked up in disbelief.

'What happened to "it's a sign of weakness"?'

'Not with friends. Or family.'

To Gibbs's surprise, Tim laughed. Jethro looked up hopefully at the sound, but seemed to sense that his master's mood hadn't changed. He whined quietly, and wiggled his way farther between the two men.

'Well, you're in the wrong place, then. I'm not Tony.'

Gibbs blinked in confusion, then suddenly realised what had been bothering Tim. This wasn't about the spanking. Not really.

But any relief that he felt from knowing that Tim understood why he punished him was offset by new concerns.

'I know where I am, son,' he said gently.

Tim's face abruptly hardened.

'You don't have to pretend with me, Boss. I know Tony is your favourite...'

'Tim...'

'...and I know it shouldn't bother me...'

'Hey...'

'...I should be used to it by now...'

Jethro whined, responding to Tim's obvious distress.

'Tim...'

'Sarah was always the favourite, too...'

'Now you listen to me, Tim. I do _not_ like you less than Tony. Got that?'

He was also fairly certain that Tim had not been less loved than his sister. At most, Cmdr. McGee probably treated his daughter like Daddy's Princess, and been less openly affectionate with his son.

At the moment, however, he had more immediate concerns.

'But...'

'No buts, Tim.'

Jethro apparently decided that Gibbs wasn't dealing with the situation quickly enough. He lifted his head from Tim's knee and nudged at the crouching Gibbs, hard enough send him sprawling backwards. Gibbs threw a hand back to catch himself, biting back a reprimand at Tim's quiet chuckle. A moment later, he found himself with a lapful of German Shepherd when Jethro parked himself mostly on the now-seated Gibbs and pawed worriedly at Tim.

'Tony is not my favourite, Tim,' Gibbs continued, knowing he probably didn't seem very authoritative, sitting on the floor with a large dog in his lap. 'I don't...'

'I know how you feel about Tony. I can see...'

'You're right, Tim. I do care about Tony,' Gibbs said, turning the younger man's face back towards him when he tried to look away, before pressing on. 'But you're wrong if you think I don't care about you, too.'

'But...'

'No buts, Tim.'

'But...'

'Hey! What did I just say?'

Gibbs reached out and lightly slapped the side of the younger man's head. Jethro turned his head towards him warningly, his instinct to protect his master clearly warring with his understanding that the visitor was trying to help.

'Dammit, McGee! You and DiNozzo were supposed to get all of this sibling rivalry crap out of your system when I sent you on that camping trip!'

'Well, yeah, we... uh...'

'I figured you needed some time alone to work it out between the two of you. I didn't think _I_ needed to stay so _we_ could...'

'You're not gonna make...'

The way Tim paled would have been amusing in different circumstances, Gibbs thought, remembering a hiking trip he'd dragged a reluctant McGee on, and realising that his version of 'bonding' tended to involve plenty of trees. He'd have to make a point of finding something that Tim would enjoy doing.

'No, Tim, I'm not going to make you go camping with me,' he reassured him, suppressing a smile at the look of sheer relief. 'I would like to find a way to make you trust me again, though.'

'I do trust you, Boss...' Tim began automatically.

'Do you, Tim? If you trust me, then why are you so worried about whether you mean as much to me as Tony does?'

Tim hugged his knees tighter, and stared at the floor for a long moment.

'Tim?'

'Because Tony usually just gets paddled!' he finally burst out. 'And I get...'

Gibbs bit back the urge to chuckle.

'Tim, I do _not_ whip you more often than I do Tony! Yes, a larger _proportion_ of your punishments are pretty bad. But that's because you don't screw up as often... and when you do, you seem to be trying to be an overachiever about that, too! It's like you only have two settings, Tim... well-behaved and so far over the line that I have a hell of a time convincing the Director to _let_ me deal with you myself.'

'But...'

'If you want me to paddle you more often, try pulling more half-assed adolescent stunts...'

Gibbs let himself smile at the thought of Tim _wanting_ to be paddled.

But, privately, he was wondering if he should continue spanking Tim at all. He didn't like the idea of hobbling the younger man's career with official reprimands when he screwed up, but his usual, unconventional approach to disciplining his subordinates just didn't seem to be working with him. This wasn't about Tim wanting to be paddled. It was about him thinking that he punished him unfairly. Even if he accepted that he deserved to be spanked... and Gibbs still wasn't entirely convinced that he did... it wouldn't do the team any good if he thought his partner routinely escaped with less severe consequences. At the moment, he seemed more upset with him, but it would only be a matter of time before it affected his relationship with Tony as well. And he'd been worried about the brotherly bickering before... this would be much more dangerous.

He needed to find a way to deal with this, or he'd have to ask Jenny to break up the team, for their own safety.

Gibbs was pulled suddenly out of that train of thought. Tim had apparently been thinking, too. Now, Gibbs found himself nearly knocked off balance again, with Tim clinging to him, sobbing into his shoulder, babbling incoherently. As he brought his arms up to comfort the distraught younger man, Jethro squirmed his way out of the middle of the three-way hug and started licking both their faces. Before he could push the dog away, Tim snuffled in what might have been a laugh, and wrapped one arm around the furry neck.

'I'm sorry, Boss,' Tim sniffed. 'I'm sorry I'm so much trouble...'

He lightly tapped the back of Tim's head and was rewarded with a slightly choked chuckle.

'It's not a sign of weakness, Boss. Not with family...'


End file.
